One of the best compliments a person can receive is a compliment about their smile.

“Your teeth are so white!”

“Your smile brightens up your face!”

“Look at your pearly whites!”

Teeth whitening can be intimidating if you do not know what to look for in treatments and ingredients. Some treatments only take minutes while others can take months. To help ease the process and clear up any confusion, see my recommendations for in-office, at-home and over-the-counter whitening treatments below:

Zoom! Whitening

I offer whitening treatments in my office that last less than an hour and provide immediate results. The Zoom in-office whitening technique is a whitening gel composed of carbamide peroxide and hydrogen peroxide combined with an LED light that acts as a sealant to your teeth. When receiving a whitening treatment at my office I will:

• Deep clean your teeth.
• Apply whitening gel.
• Project LED light on your teeth.
• Repeat the process two more times.
• Apply an enamel-protecting gel.

Custom Whitening Trays

If you prefer at-home whitening treatments, I offer custom whitening trays molded specifically for your teeth. The at-home process is similar to the procedure you would receive in my office, but you will complete it yourself over a two-week period. For custom-tray teeth whitening, see my suggested process below:

• Brush your teeth.
• Add a small amount of gel to your custom trays.
• Put trays on your teeth.
• Wear the trays for 30-60 minutes.
• Rinse trays with cold water.
• Brush teeth once more to remove the remaining gel.

Over-the-Counter Whitening

Over-the-counter whitening solutions come in several forms of whitening pens, strips and toothpaste. For the best results, I recommend purchasing whitening materials that contain both hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide. Note, the higher the level of hydrogen peroxide, the higher level of tooth sensitivity. If store whitening procedures are more in tune with your day-to-day lifestyle, I’ll let you in on which products provide the best bang for your buck.

• Pens: The effects of whitening pens are almost immediate but are not the most permanent solution. The pen works by applying a layer of bleaching gel to your teeth. If applied twice daily for two weeks, the results typically last 30-60 days.
• Strips: Whitening strips apply a gel evenly across your teeth to remove stains. Strips are a great solution, but much of their efficacy depends on what ingredients they contain, so check to make sure yours have both hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide.
• Toothpaste: Whitening toothpastes are the least invasive form of whitening treatments, but their effects are not quite as noticeable. Toothpastes can slightly whiten teeth over time, but they cannot get rid of stains below the tooth’s surface. When looking for a whitening toothpaste, look for brands that contain hydrogen peroxide to help break down stains on your teeth.

Keep an eye out for products that have the American Dental Association’s (ADA) seal of acceptance, as these are products that meet standards of safety and effectiveness. While at-home treatments tend to be more affordable than in-office treatments, they often require more time to achieve ideal results.

I am here to be a dental resource for you! To learn more about teeth whitening treatments I offer, visit shipthedentist.com or call my office at 251-344-4571. Let’s work together to make your pearly whites pearly again!